Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius

Curl leaf mountain mahogany

Family: Rosaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Curl leaf mountain mahogany is a California native shrub found in southern Sierra Nevada Mountains on steep slopes and in open pine forests at elevations of 1,200 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces small, inconspicuous flowers with white-woolly characteristics. Growing as a compact shrub or small tree 1 to 3 meters tall, it develops a dense, multi-stemmed form with rigid branches. Its leaves are narrow and leathery, measuring 1 to 3 centimeters long, with a distinctive white-woolly underside that creates a soft, silvery appearance. The fruit develops into a feathery, elongated structure with a style measuring 4 to 6 centimeters long.

Habitat: Uncommon. Steep slopes, open pine forest

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: 1200-3000 m

Bioregions: s SNH

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.